It’s now accepted that business success on the internet is inextricably linked with business success in the “real world”. The last thing you want, after going through the frustration and headache of researching domain names for your website, only to be faced with the heartache of it being unavailable… is for it to expire and someone else to snag it after a year or two. In the world of the internet, domain names are prime real estate – indeed, some could say it’s the modern day Monopoly Game where a domain that was once registered for less than $10 can end up being ransomed for upwards of $10,000.
It’s vitally important, and extremely simple, to protect your domain from inadvertent expiry. This article covers a few top tips on how to protect yourself from the business nightmare of expired domains. Imagine the horror that would come from having an established brand, with a high traffic website, only for the domain name to expire and be sold on to someone else that is willing to sell it back to you for a multi-thousand dollar markup. In some situations, business owners have no choice but to pay the ransom these modern day pirates demand, yet for other less established solopreneurs, it can literally mark the end of their business; at least in that name.
- PURCHASE THE DOMAIN FOR THE LONG HAUL
Many business owners, at the inception of their brand will purchase their domain for a year or two; in part this is often due to cashflow restrictions but there’s also the uncertainty of not wanting to waste your money if the business doesn’t take off, or if along the way, the brand name has to change. The simplest way to protect yourself is to purchase the name for 5-10 years. Something not everyone realises is that domain names are most often on lease to you; they are not an asset you own indefinitely.
- SET-UP AUTO RENEW AND KEEP YOUR CREDIT CARD DETAILS UP TO DATE
The main reason domains expire is that the hosting company aren’t able to take payment for the renewal purchase of the domain name from the consumer. These are automated payments often set to auto-renew upon renewal, however, as the years go by, credit card details change.
- KEEP YOUR EMAIL UP TO DATE
In a similar vein to the above, you’ll want to make sure that your email address is kept up to date, as the hosting company will email you notice that the domain is due to expire with steps to ensure you keep your domain – however, if you are no longer using this mailbox or the emails bounce back, the hosting company have no way to get in touch with you; and unfortunately, if they can’t take payment to renew the next year’s hosting… it will, by default, expire.
In summary, don’t let all that effort you put into finding the perfect domain name go to waste by allowing your domain name to expire… it’s often a careless mistake that is so easily avoided, yet it can prove incredibly costly to your business and brand reputation if someone comes in at the end of the contract term, snaps up your domain, and then ransoms it for a ridiculous fee.
Leave a Reply